Candidates must meet at least the following minimum criteria to be considered for the Bridges Program:

• Currently enrolled in an MSW or MSN program at CSU-LA with 1-2 years remaining in the program;

• Membership in an underrepresented group including: African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino/Latina, Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders or American Indians, economically disadvantaged (based on completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or have an officially recognized disability;

• Interested in completing a PhD degree in nursing or social work and conducting research focused on addressing health disparities;

• US citizenship or permanent resident status; and

• Minimum undergraduate/graduate GPA of 3.2.

Definition: Economically disadvantaged means having experienced financial hardship as a result of family economic circumstances. The Bridges Program generally recognizes the home institution’s determination of economic disadvantage. No single factor automatically qualifies a student as economically disadvantaged. Some factors that may indicate economic disadvantage include:

• Qualification for need based financial aid such as Pell or McNair Grants

• First generation in family to complete a 4-year college degree

• First generation American (parents not born in the U.S.)

Applications to the Bridges to the Ph.D. Program will not be considered without all of the following items:

• Completed application form (including authorization to access student records)

• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Completed professional essay of 700-1000 words addressing: A) Your interest in pursuing a PhD in social work or nursing, and B) Briefly explain why you are interested in conducting research addressing health disparities, and C) Your professional/career goals for the future as a researcher conducting health disparities research

• Two letters of recommendation that address your research and leadership potential (letters must submitted to the Bridges program by their author)

• Academic Transcripts - Official transcripts submitted by your university

Applications will be screened for completeness and eligibility, and applicants will be notified that their application was received. Eligible applications will be reviewed by core program staff, including directors and mentors, who will assess the written professional essay, recommendation letters and student's professional and academic experience. A group of finalists will be selected and asked to participate in a personal interview. After interviews are completed, core staff will select program scholars and at least one alternate. Students who are selected for the program will be notified and asked to confirm their acceptance of the award.

The award for Bridges traineees includes:

• Research mentorship and professional development

• Paid research assistantship

• Tuition assistance

• GRE preparation

• 8-week UM Residential Summer Research Program, including classes in the ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research, housing, and stipend for educational expenses

• PhD program application assistance

• Maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA during master’s program.

• Complete the graduate record examination (GRE).

• Work with a research mentor on a research project 15 hours per week during the academic year.

• Complete a master’s thesis that focuses on health disparities.

• Attend the University of Michigan’s 8½ week in-residence Summer Research Program, including courses through ICPSR, and all other scheduled activities.

• Apply to at least five PhD programs that meet the criteria for obtaining a PhD in social and behavioral science at a research intensive institution.

• Participate in all program activities and complete follow-up evaluations after completing the program.

No. Trainees are not obligated to attend the University of Michigan. We strongly encourage trainees to apply to the Rackham Graduate School, which coordinates applications to the graduate programs in social work and nursing at the UM; however, we cannot guarantee admission to any specific program.